


Effortless

by kiyala



Category: Les Misérables - All Media Types
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Babysitting, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-04-13
Updated: 2014-04-13
Packaged: 2018-01-19 05:42:57
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,503
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1457863
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/kiyala/pseuds/kiyala
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Enjolras offers to babysit Combeferre and Courfeyrac's daughter. It occurs to him that this was a terrible idea when he knows nothing about handling babies. Luckily for him, Grantaire steps in.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Effortless

This was a bad idea. This was entirely stupid of him and Enjolras doesn't even know _why_ he'd volunteered to babysit, except both Combeferre and Courfeyrac have looked _exhausted_ since they adopted their baby girl and they need a break.

Taking care of a small baby is much more difficult than Enjolras had originally anticipated and he doesn't know what to do. Millie won't stop crying, no matter what Enjolras tries, and he can't bring himself to ring Combeferre and Courfeyrac to ask when they're probably sleeping without interruption for the first time in the past few months. He's at a complete loss and is ready to start pulling his hair out when his phone buzzes with a message.

**R:** Jehan just told me you're babysitting. What the fuck?

Enjolras' laugh borders on hysterical as he types out a reply.

**Enjolras:** I've made a terrible mistake.  
 **R:** I'll say. I'm coming over.  
 **Enjolras:** You really don't have to.

Grantaire doesn't even reply to that, and Enjolras hears a knock on his door after a few minutes. Grantaire must have messaged him when he was already on his way and Enjolras' isn't even in the right frame of mind to feel the usual gut-twisting happy, nervous mess of emotion he does whenever he thinks about the way Grantaire gives him so much time.

"Help," Enjolras says desperately as he opens the door and Grantaire huffs out a quiet laugh, even though he looks mostly concerned.

Millie is lying on her blanket on the bed, her tiny limbs flailing as she cries. Grantaire makes a low sound at the back of his throat before stepping into the room and picking her up. She immediately stops crying, the way she does when Combeferre or Courfeyrac pick her up. Enjolras had tried picking her up too, but her crying only grew louder. He doesn't know how to deal with the thought that perhaps his goddaughter just doesn't like him.

"She was missing her daddies—weren't you, sweetheart?" Grantaire bounces Millie gently and she babbles at him, her tiny fist clutching at his shirt. Grantaire smiles at her and then at Enjolras. "I've seen you carry her before. You hold her like you're afraid of breaking her."

"Because I _am_ ," Enjolras replies. "I'm terrified of hurting her. Even when Combeferre and Courfeyrac are right there to make sure I don't."

"That's not very comforting for her," Grantaire replies, looking at her adoringly again. "You can't carry her like she's an expensive vase you don't want to break."

Grantaire carries her so effortlessly, with one arm underneath her and his hand supporting the back of her neck. Enjolras is envious and—there's something about Grantaire with a baby that makes his gut-twisting feeling even worse. Or better. Enjolras isn't quite sure.

"Yeah, so I'm taking over babysitting duties," Grantaire decides. "Do you have a bottle? She's probably going to get hungry soon."

"How do you even know that?" Enjolras asks incredulously.

"She's been crying for a while, hasn't she? Poor thing's probably tired herself out. Food and a nap, I think."

"Combeferre left her baby bag with everything in it," Enjolras says, pointing. "Her bottle's in the fridge. I'll warm it up for you. At least I'm good at that."

"You're good at plenty of things," Grantaire tells him with a smile. "You'll get better at this too. You just need a little practice."

"And a guiding hand?" Enjolras suggests, feeling his face grow warm when Grantaire's smile gets even wider.

"Yeah. I could do that."

Enjolras goes to the kitchen, warming up Millie's milk, not even trying to hide his smile as he listens to Grantaire walk back and forth across the lounge room, murmuring nonsense to Millie as she babbles back.

"Ready," Enjolras calls, just as Millie is beginning to sound unhappy.

"Excellent timing," Grantaire says, like it wasn't even his idea to begin with.

Millie doesn't fuss as Grantaire takes the bottle from Enjolras and holds it up for her. Grantaire watches her with a small smile and Enjolras finds that he can't look away, can't quite breath around the lump in his throat.

"Look at that," Grantaire murmurs when the bottle is empty. "Hungry, weren't you?"

Millie looks satisfied now and Enjolras has the presence of mind to tear his attention away from Grantaire for long enough to get the burping cloth out of the baby bag.

"Thank you. Think you can hold her for a second?"

Enjolras presses his lips together and nods. He holds his arms out and lets Grantaire direct him as to how to position himself. He doesn't feel quite as rigid when he carries Millie this time and after the first few cautious seconds pass and she still hasn't started crying, he lets out a sigh of relief.

"Look at the two of you," Grantaire remarks with a soft, fond look in his eyes. "You're both gorgeous."

It's said like a throwaway comment, the way it always sounds when Grantaire compliments Enjolras. It's never said to _sound_ like Grantaire is saying something nice, but simply a matter of fact. He's never said it with _this_ look before though, or if he has, Enjolras has missed it. He's never had Grantaire's gaze lingering on him, skipping from his eyes to his mouth to his eyes again.

"Okay." Grantaire has the burping cloth over his shoulder. Enjolras hadn't even been paying attention to him putting it in place, too distracted by everything else. "I'll take her back now."

Enjolras has a sudden need to occupy his hands now that they're empty. He excuses himself to the kitchen again with the excuse of making them both coffee, listening to Grantaire murmur soothing nonsense at Millie again. He realises that he's forgotten to ask Grantaire how he likes his coffee and then immediately realises that he doesn't need to, because he already knows exactly how Grantaire drinks his coffee.

"Oh," he says to himself softly. He can feel his heart beating faster, his skin tingling. 

It's a small realisation, really, and he doesn't know why it affects him so much. He's already extremely familiar with the fact that he has feelings for Grantaire. It's just that he never realised just how strong they were before. He stands there and stares at his coffee machine for a while. He has feelings for Grantaire. Strong feelings. He thinks about that, and realises he has no idea what to do.

It occurs to him after a moment later that he needs to finish making their coffee. He busies himself doing so and it's not until he carries their mugs back into the lounge room that he realises Grantaire is no longer there. Enjolras puts the mugs down on the coffee table just as Grantaire emerges from the bedroom, tiptoeing carefully.

"She's sleeping," he whispers and then grins when he notices the coffee mugs. "You're the best."

"I'm pretty sure that _you're_ the best," Enjolras replies quietly, picking up his mug and sitting on the couch. "Thank you so much, Grantaire."

"Any time," Grantaire tells him. "I'm glad I could help."

Millie sleeps undisturbed as they drink their coffee, no matter how many times Enjolras glances at the baby monitor sitting by the arm of the couch. 

Grantaire snorts quietly, putting his empty mug down. "You're afraid of your goddaughter."

"I am not. I just—I want to help my best friends and I'm not particularly good at this. I know that there are a lot of things I'm not good at, but I feel that taking care of Millie should not be one of them."

"You'll get better," Grantaire tells him, smiling. "You'll get there and hey, in the meantime, I'm happy to come over and help."

Enjolras slowly puts his coffee mug down and shifts slightly closer to Grantaire. "I would like that."

"Enjolras…?"

"You should come here more often," Enjolras tells him quietly. "Not just to help me babysit Millie. I want to spend time with you here. Alone."

Grantaire's face goes bright red. " _Enjolras_."

Reaching up to brush Grantaire's curls out of his eyes, Enjolras watches and waits. Grantaire leans forward first, just slightly, and Enjolras closes the distance between them, kissing him hard. Grantaire tentatively places a hand on Enjolras' shoulder, like he's unsure whether he's allowed to touch. Enjolras pulls him close, kissing him even harder.

"I hope you're not just kissing me because I'm good at babysitting," Grantaire jokes as they pull apart, but Enjolras can see the wariness in his eyes. He wants to kiss Grantaire until that wariness is gone and pulls him back in to do just that.

"That's definitely not the only reason," Enjolras murmurs. "It's one of many. I'll list them for you, if you need me to."

Grantaire laughs quietly. "Please don't."

"But you believe me?" Enjolras kisses him lightly. "I want you, Grantaire."

With a grin, Grantaire leans into him again. "Kiss me a few more times?"

Enjolras is more than happy to comply.


End file.
